“I’m the first and only veterinarian to be chief of staff of the office of the Surgeon General. But it’s again another testament to the DVM degree.”Our guest today is Dr. Michael Blackwell. Dr. Blackwell is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University. He has had a truly incredible and inspirational career which has taken him to places he never expected. Following in his father’s footsteps, he started out in a mixed animal practice in Oklahoma, after that he spent many years with the FDA. He then moved on to become the first, and so far, only, veterinarian to serve as the chief of staff in the office of the Surgeon General. He also spent time as the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. He is back at the University now and working on programs to help provide affordable care to all pet owners. We also talk about how being a part of a minority group has impacted his veterinary career and why he took certain rolls even if it wasn’t where he initially saw himself going in veterinary medicine. It’s a great conversation and we are so excited to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast